Review: Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Zombie Abbey by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Release Date: April 3, 2018
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Historical
Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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1920, England

And the three teenage Clarke sisters thought what they'd wear to dinner was their biggest problem…

Lady Kate, the entitled eldest.
Lady Grace, lost in the middle and wishing she were braver.
Lady Lizzy, so endlessly sunny, it's easy to underestimate her.

Then there's Will Harvey, the proud, to-die-for―and possibly die with!―stable boy; Daniel Murray, the resourceful second footman with a secret; Raymond Allen, the unfortunate-looking young duke; and Fanny Rogers, the unsinkable kitchen maid.

Upstairs! Downstairs! Toss in some farmers and villagers!

None of them ever expected to work together for any reason.

But none of them had ever seen anything like this.

Review:

Lauren Baratz-Logsted's books are typically very hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes I enjoy them while other times they simple aren't my cup of tea. I couldn't resist Zombie Abbey, however, as I wanted to see what a zombie flavored Downtown Abbey book would be like. 

As it turns out, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a quirky read, relying on early dramatics, humor, and zombie gore to drive the story forward. 

Zombie Abbey contains a surplus of perspectives - the sisters, the suitors, the staff, even the animals! It was interesting, and it tended to keep me on my toes. I never was quite sure who was going to be next! Some characters I liked better than others. The sisters, for instance, were an incredibly mixed bag. Kate, the eldest, was insufferable in most respects. I couldn't believe how selfish as well as entitled she acted, but I did enjoy seeing what would come out of her mouth next - it kept becoming more and more outlandish! Grace, the middle child, was my second favorite character. She was the complete opposite of Kate - kind and selfless. I enjoyed seeing her unexpected friendship with one of Kate's suitors unfold. Lizzy, the youngest, was by far my favorite. In some ways, she's the black sheep of her family - no one truly understands her and they also underestimate her. However, as the book progresses, she becomes the unexpected hero. I loved seeing her take on a bigger role, and I was cheering her on the whole way - I wanted her to prove her family (especially Kate!) wrong. The male suitors also provided laughs as well as heart. I appreciated how different they were. Also, Will Harvey? I. LOVED. him. 

The plot in this reminded me slightly of Scary Movie. People keep dying and/or disappearing, but no one really wanted to take it seriously.  They were too worried about their own lives! The Clarke family chalks it up to the villagers overacting - how can someone who is dead possibly come back to life? However, as the novel continues and the zombies get closer, the Clark family and their guests start to see just how serious it is. There were so many times at which I wanted to yell "Take it more seriously, it's not a joke," as I couldn't believe they just didn't have a care in the world, continuing on with their parties and hunting even though multiple people were missing. It was nutty!I also appreciated that no one was ever "safe;" there were some exciting twists that happened as the death total kept rising. I liked the little romances that popped up. None were incredibly well developed, but they still added a fun, romantic quality to the book. 

Now for the few problems I had with Zombie Abbey. For one, I wish it was more developed. I had so many questions about the zombies, the unexpected cousin, etc. I wanted to know where the zombies had originated from and whether or not they were only in their area or others. Secondly, the transitions between POVs was sometimes choppy. A couple of times it took me a few seconds to realize who was talking, because it jumped so quickly. Last, I wish the ending had more resolution. In some respects, I did think it fit the story well, but as someone who loves resolution, I wish there had been more to it. 

Regardless, Zombie Abbey is an eccentric little book. I'll be honest: it's not going to be for everyone; however, I think it will find its place with readers who love an interesting take on historical fiction (think My Lady Jane). 

3.5 stars!! 

Waiting on Wednesday (104)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

My pick this week is:

Little Women (and Me) by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (November 8, 2011)

Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1850s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily—not the four March sisters—who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite.

This one looks like it's going to a cute take on the beloved classic, which I still have yet to read (Note to self: Must read Little Women this year!). Better yet I've enjoyed Lauren's previous books so hopefully this will be just as good if not better.

One Question Interview Blog Tour featuring Lauren Baratz-Logsted!

Today, I have a very special guest here on Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf. Who's that guest, you may ask? Well, no one other than the lovely Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of the upcoming The Education of Bet (July 2010!) and The Twin's Daughter (August 2010!) among many others. As part of the One Question Interview Blog Tour, she'll be answering a question of mine! So, without a further ado, here's my question and her answer!

~~

Everyone has guilty pleasures (T.V. shows, movies, books, etc.), so what are some of yours?

People think that with my productivity schedule - I have four new books out this year - that I must be all work and no play. In fact, I engage in all the guilty pleasures you cite, including that wonderfully vague and provocative category of "etc."

TV: I will not wax on about my beloved General Hospital because I already did that at Liz Burns' excellent site: http://yzocaet.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-lauren-baratz-logsted.html. But I will say, I'm not one of these writers who regards television with my nose held in the air. I happen to love TV: poltical shows, the aforementioned GH, American Idol, House, Friday Night Lights, plus various series we watch on DVD.

Movies: I haven't gotten to go lately as much as I'd like but the movies I'm most interested in seeing that are in theatres now are Iron Man 2, Letters to Juliet, and the one about the dragon.

Books: I typically read a couple hundred books a year and I read eclectically: adult, YA, contemporary, historical, literary, commercial. Some of the books I've read in 2010 that I'm most enthusiastic about are: for adults, Dan Chaon's Await Your Reply and Anne Lamott's Imperfect Birds; for teens, Gail Giles' Shattering Glass and Stephen Herrick's Cold Skin.

Etc: Oh, you're not going to trick me into telling you that - some things must remain a mystery!

~~~
 
Thanks, Lauren. (Cool name you have, by the way. ;) ) Anyway, to find out more about Lauren check out her site, as well as my previous posts involving her and her books! And be sure to check out the next stop on the tour at Shauna's website and the previous one at Hope's.

Waiting on Wednesday: Week 54

The Education of Bet by Lauren Bartaz- Logsted

Bet is sixteen, very intelligent, but only knows as much as her limited education will allow. In Victorian England, girls aren't allowed to go to school.

Will is also 16, and though not related by blood, he and Bet act like brother and sister. In fact, they even look like brother and sister. And though they're both raised under the same roof, by the same kind uncle, Will has one big advantage over Bet: He's a boy, and being a boy means he isn't stuck in the grand house they call home. He gets to go out into the world--to school.

But that's not what Will wishes. He wants to join the military and learn about real life, not what's written in books.
So one night, Bet comes up with a plan. She'll go to school as Will. Will can join the military. And though it seems impossible, they actually manage to pull it off.

But once Bet gets to the school, she begins to realize the education she's going to get isn't exactly the one she was expecting.

I enjoyed Lauren's previous novel, Crazy Beautiful, so I'm hoping I'll like this one just as much, if not more. Though, I don't have an worries because the summary makes the book sound amazing and I LOVE the cover!
 
The Education of Bet will be released July 12, 2010!

My Very Awesome Contest

Since, I've been wanting to have another contest for a couple of weeks now, I've decided to have one called:

My Very Awesome Contest *

So, you may ask "What will I win in this very awesome contest of yours?" Well, the answer is in the following pictures.

The Books:

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

Five Minutes More by Darlene Ryan

Sprout by Dale Peck

The Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

The Bookmarks:

Rampant Bookmark ( Thanks Diana!!)
Give Up The Ghost Bookmark ( Thanks Megan!!)

How To Enter:

Just comment below.

For Extra Entries:

+6 for already following/ subscribing to my blog
+3 for becoming a follower/ subscriber to my blog
+4 for linking to it from sidebar, facebook, twitter, myspace, actual post, and basically anything you can think off. ( unlimited times you can do this!)
+1 for adding me to your blog roll
+1 for commenting on my review of Crazy Beautiful here.
+1 for commenting on my review of The Devil's Kiss here.

Open To:

US and Canada residents only. Sorry, international readers, though if you have someone you can send it to in the US or Canada that can send it off to you eventually. You can supply me with their address if you win.

Ends:

September 22, 2009 at midnight. So, be sure to get your entries in on time!!

* I know very unique, right? I was orgianlly going to have "The Lauren Contest" featuring books from differnt authors named Lauren. But it unfourntly didn't work out, thanks to me giving some books to a friend to borrow, that I haven't gotten back yet. lol
* More bookmarks are going to be given away soon in random posts, so watch out!

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Summary:

In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.

Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her.

But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.

Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does.

Review:

Crazy Beautiful is a romance at it's heart, one that focus on a modern retelling of Beauty and The Beast.

Going into this I was excepting something else, I'm not sure what per say, maybe something darker or more sinister. But don't get me wrong, I highly enjoyed reading Crazy Beautiful.

The two main characters were developed in a way that you could understand who they where and what they wanted. Though, they didn't really jump of the page. Aurora was the typical shy but stunningly beautiful girl who tends to speak her mind, while Lucius had a more dark existence, one that made you wonder if you should trust him or not. It was interesting to see how they and their feelings mixed together with Lauren having a switching first person narrative for them.

The plot was fast paced because of the short number of pages and the quick switching, as mentioned above. The story starts out a little slow, but quickly builds suspense and tension as the page number go up. Also, I liked the ending a ton, because it leaves off at such a good breaking point, one that most anyone will like.

Overall, Crazy Beautiful is a cutesy romance with a message of accepting who you are and living with it to your best potential. I look forward to reading by Ms. Baratz-Logsted.

Grade: B

Crazy Beautiful hits shelves on September 29, 2009, though Amazon is shipping it early.

* Much thanks goes to Lauren as well as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for sending me a copy of this!

Inspired Friday with Lauren Baratz-Logsted!!!

Lauren Baratz-Logsted is one of the nicest authors I have talked to yet. So, I was ecstatic when she agreed to do an Inspired Friday post! :)

Anyway, Lauren is the author of many books for Young Adults ( Secrets Of My Suburban Life, Me, In Between, and Angel's Choice), Kids (The Sisters Eight series), and Adults ( Crossing The Line, A Little Change of Face, How Nancy Drew Saved My Life, and many others) Also, she is the author of the upcoming Crazy Beautiful, which is already getting a ton of buzz around blogging world. So, without a further ado here's Lauren talking about what inspired her to write Crazy Beautiful!

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Like all writers, including J.K. Rowling, I've had my share of bad luck, although I suspect the bad-luck wand strikes J.K. less frequently than it strikes me. But one thing I am extremely fortunate in is that I never have a shortage of ideas for things to write about. I like to say I see the world in novel-sized chunks and at least a few times a year, I see or hear about something that makes me think, "Ooh, there's a book in that!"

Two winters ago I took my daughter Jackie (one of my coauthors on The Sisters Eight series for young readers, the other being my YA novelist Greg Logsted - quick plug for family project) to see "Beauty & the Beast" on Broadway. A couple of things struck me: 1) that it really is a timeless tale of star-crossed love; and 2) that the reason this is the fairy tale that has translated best into stage and screen adaptations that can be enjoyed by adults as well as younger people is because the principal male is not one-dimensional like all the various Prince Charmings of "Cinderella" or "Snow White" - on the contrary, he's the most developed character in the piece.

So then, as my mind tends to do, I started thinking along the lines of, "How do I take this wonderful old classic and make it new? How do I make it different (and hopefully special) so that readers might not even see the similarities (if I didn't tell them about it in blogs like this)?"

And my mind kept percolating and I kept thinking about how B&B is about two themes - how people assume so much about others based on surface features; and also how love transforms the way we are seen and how we feel about ourselves - that are still of relevance to today's teens. Before you knew it, there was the lead female character, Aurora Belle, a girl as beautiful as her fairy-tale name; and before you knew it, there was the lead male character, Lucius Wolfe, the boy with hooks for hands, the boy who everyone thinks is crazy. And then before I knew it, I was writing a thoroughly contemporary he-said/she-said story and having a blast writing from a first-person male point of view...and...and...and...

And that's my Inspired Story and I'm sticking to it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much, Lauren!! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Crazy Beautiful.

If you are an author and would like to be a part of Inspired Friday, please contact me at laurenscrammedbookshelf@gmail.com.